Undercarbonated

[pmolou]

what should i do if i have a belgian dark strong bottled been 1 month and its undercarbonted (no head and light bubbles)

is there anywy to carbonate it

Should i re-cap with sugar added?

 

[Fatgodzilla]

what should i do if i have a belgian dark strong bottled been 1 month and its undercarbonted (no head and light bubbles)

is there anywy to carbonate it

Should i re-cap with sugar added?

Where have you stored the bottles ? What's your rough guess of the temperature of the bottles ? I'm thinking if the storage temperature is too low, the yeast is "sleeping", meaning secondary carbonation is not taking place.

 

[pmolou]

Where have you stored the bottles ? What's your rough guess of the temperature of the bottles ? I'm thinking if the storage temperature is too low, the yeast is "sleeping", meaning secondary carbonation is not taking place.

nah its around 18celcius i didnt have a measurer at the time and didnt put enough priming sugar in
bit of a bummer as i was after a medium carbonation but its just too low and tastes like wine

 

[Fatgodzilla]

nah its around 18celcius i didnt have a measurer at the time and didnt put enough priming sugar in
bit of a bummer as i was after a medium carbonation but its just too low and tastes like wine

How many bottles you opened ? At least two ?

 

[peas_and_corn]

How big was your batch and how much sugar did you use?

 

[pmolou]

i dont bulk prime but 19litre batch used like half a teaspoon for 375ml
opened around 3 or so

 

[Fatgodzilla]

i dont bulk prime but 19litre batch used like half a teaspoon for 375ml
opened around 3 or so

Famous last words, but I don't think you should do anything too rash, unless of course you want to drink all these beers within next three months.

Since these sound like stubbies, grab three and chill as cold as possible. Take lids off, add more sugar and re cap. Don't expose to much air to bottle and be prepared for the sugar as it enters bottle to liberate some CO2 ie watch out for some mini gushers ! If possible, dissolve the sugar (say two teaspoons) in one teaspoon of boiling water rather than just plop sugar crystals in.

Leave these three bottles in warmish place (don't cook them !) next to three untreated bottles in a month and see if there is any significant difference.

The longer you leave the beer stored where the yeast can work, the more effective the carbonation will be. If I make a brew that I know I won't open for six months, I'll deliberately put less sugar in the bottle. I've got some eight months old ales that were perfectly carbed four months ago that are over carbed now (though they have been stored over summer, where you are now storing coming into winter). Another point is that a belgium dark strong may like a bit more bottle conditioning than a month anyway. Have patience, experiment with three bottles and see what happens.

 

[pmolou]

Famous last words, but I don't think you should do anything too rash, unless of course you want to drink all these beers within next three months.

Since these sound like stubbies, grab three and chill as cold as possible. Take lids off, add more sugar and re cap. Don't expose to much air to bottle and be prepared for the sugar as it enters bottle to liberate some CO2 ie watch out for some mini gushers ! If possible, dissolve the sugar (say two teaspoons) in one teaspoon of boiling water rather than just plop sugar crystals in.

Leave these three bottles in warmish place (don't cook them !) next to three untreated bottles in a month and see if there is any significant difference.

The longer you leave the beer stored where the yeast can work, the more effective the carbonation will be. If I make a brew that I know I won't open for six months, I'll deliberately put less sugar in the bottle. I've got some eight months old ales that were perfectly carbed four months ago that are over carbed now (though they have been stored over summer, where you are now storing coming into winter). Another point is that a belgium dark strong may like a bit more bottle conditioning than a month anyway. Have patience, experiment with three bottles and see what happens.

cheers mate much appreciated advice

 

[kabooby]

Try adding sugar that has been dissolved in boiling water with a syringe. That will stop the gushing.

When were you planning on drinking this beer? What was your FG?

Big beers can keep fermenting slowly in the bottle over time. Maybe a year though

Kabooby :icon_cheers:

 

[Muggus]

Big beers can keep fermenting slowly in the bottle over time. Maybe a year though

+1 on that notion.

You mention that its a dark strong Belgian style beer, Pmolou. From past experience, some of these guys can take a while to carbonate to their full potential in the bottle, so you may want to hold on a number of months before cracking another, unless your desperate of course.
On the plus side, this style of beer generally benefits from a fair bit of bottle conditioning. Patience may just be the key.

 

[pmolou]

yer they do need alot of aging the flavours are still really intense. Yer i think i might just let them age as i'm going overseas soon for 4 months so when i get back i'm gonna have a heap of well aged beers

 

[Interloper]

I bottled a lager after racking and bulk priming and whilst it is one of the clearest beers I've ever brewed it has very low carbonation.

Its been in the bottle 10 days so I tried one green last night for "research purposes", taste is OK but one of the least carbonated beers I've ever done...

I used just under 180gms of sugar for priming based on the calculator here, but I am a bit concerned my bulk prime is the reason for low bubble action.

It is kind of cold in my shed, but should I expect more carbonation over time?

Whenever I've tried a greeny in the past after bottle priming they have had more bubble than this after just 10 days...

I am getting ready to bottle again this weekend and I am wary about bulk priming if the carbonation is going to be shabby.

 

[BenH]

It is kind of cold in my shed, but should I expect more carbonation over time?

Adelaide shed temperatures have been quite cold lately. It depends on the type of yeast you used, but remember that the carbonation process is just another fermentation. And just like primary fermentation, if it's too cold, your yeast will be sluggish. So you can either wait (patience, grasshopper) or put the bottles somewhere warmer.

 

[Interloper]

Adelaide shed temperatures have been quite cold lately. It depends on the type of yeast you used, but remember that the carbonation process is just another fermentation. And just like primary fermentation, if it's too cold, your yeast will be sluggish. So you can either wait (patience, grasshopper) or put the bottles somewhere warmer.

I wonder if racking and finings have robbed the bottles of enough yeast for secondary....

They are soooo clear after just 10 days. No sediment at bottom of bottles (green heinikens, kept in boxes) so I do have worries about there being enough yeastie beasties in the bottle.

Or maybe the bulk priming wasn't as effective as I thought....

(EDIT: it was the Nottingham Danstar yeast - not a true lager yeast but good for the cold weather brewing)

 

[brettprevans]

it is possible that theres not enough active or live yeast in the bottles to kick off carbonation. I have a RIS at 12% that isnt carbonating. If thats the case, then the only solution is to put some live healthy yeast in there (or keg it).

I would think that this is probably unlikely in your case though,as a belgian is probably only about 9% and ive had no trouble carbing up brews at that level.

 

[Interloper]

Wow healthy live yeast to every bottle would kind of suck.... Lot of work to uncap and recap.

I'm going for a shake and bake I reckon...

Perhaps my racking and fining was too good!

Thanks for the reply - why isn't your RIS carbing up?

 

[brettprevans]

ive come to the conclusion that the RIS didnt have enough live/healthy yeast to cope with the %alc. It probably sat too long after fermenting out before bottling. Flavours are awsome but its sickly cause of no carbonation and extra priming sugar. probably going to have to keg it and just have it sitting there unconnected most of the time.

 

[Interloper]

ive come to the conclusion that the RIS didnt have enough live/healthy yeast to cope with the %alc. It probably sat too long after fermenting out before bottling. Flavours are awsome but its sickly cause of no carbonation and extra priming sugar. probably going to have to keg it and just have it sitting there unconnected most of the time.

hmmm I did use an extra 500g of LDME with brew enhancer #2, so I am thinking I might be in the same situation as you.
I like higher alcohol beers you see :chug:

EDIT: I don't have the luxury of kegs either.

 

[Steve Lacey]

(EDIT: it was the Nottingham Danstar yeast - not a true lager yeast but good for the cold weather brewing)

It is not a lager yeast at all. It is a top-fermenting yeast and needs temperatures to be above 15 degrees or it will be very drowsy indeed.

I think you have enough yeast in the bottles. Somebody corrected me on this forum a few days ago for my suggesting that a 1 micron filter would remove all yeast ... apparently not, so I am sure you have enough yeast there to do the job.

I am sure you simply need to move the bottles somewhere warmer (but don't go overboard and cook them) and give them another two weeks.

 

[Interloper]

I am sure you simply need to move the bottles somewhere warmer (but don't go overboard and cook them) and give them another two weeks.

Nice, thanks for that... I'll bring half inside and leave half outside and see if that helps carb up the lager.